Happy Holi!!

This weekend was Holi, a Hindu festival where some boundaries are pushed and fun is had by all...or most.
The holiday is celebrated by throwing colours, paint and water balloons. Usually, if you want to avoid the colour you just stay home...unaware foreigners make good targets...

There are two stories associated with Holi. One is about a prince, who was a devotee of Vishnu, but whose father was a wicked king. With the help of an evil Auntie, named Holika, the king plotted to kill the prince. Vishnu intervened and saved the prince and the evil Auntie was burned up. So bonfires are lit the night beginning Holi celebrating the triumph of good over evil.

And then the other explains the colour throwing. Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, used to tease gopis (shepherdesses) by spraying them with rose water...so people spray each other with colour. Don't worry if you can't find the link...I am not sure there is one.

All week there were ads in a National Newspaper with holiday advice.
For a safe Holi avoid the following:
*Throwing water/coloured water or water balloons at passers-by.
*Forcing unwilling people to play Holi.
*Using indecent language or behaving riotously.
*Eve-teasing.
*Drunken Driving.
*Throwing dirt or chemicals.
*Triple riding on two-wheelers.
*Riding without a helmet.
One of the things that seems to characterize these kinds of celebrations is boundary breaking...a kind of permission is granted to break taboos.

Our experience of the boundary breaking was limited this year to watching revellers. The boys in the top left photo had been smoking and drinking. Fortunately , they were placated by a friendly greeting and posing for a photo. Then we drove out to the hills...after the third barricade manned by rowdy boys demanding money for sweets...we decided to turn back.

Later, I'll post picture of the big girls playing colours with their friends...they were totally covered in colours...like they walked through an explosion at a paint factory. Someone once told me that she thought that Hindu festivals were all made to appeal to children(and the child in us)...lights, colours, dancing and parties. I wonder if we wouldn't do well to learn to celebrate so that everyone wanted to join in the fun!!